SKN at Centre of Caribbean Crime Surge

The Caribbean’s homicide crisis is making headlines again, and this time St Kitts and Nevis is at the centre of the conversation.

Fresh data shows the twin-island nation recording a homicide rate of 59.8 per 100,000 people in 2024 – the second highest in the region, behind only Turks and Caicos, which tops the list with a staggering 103.1.

For St Kitts and Nevis, with a population of fewer than 50,000, the figure is alarming. Each act of violence sends ripples through tightly knit communities where everyone knows someone connected to the loss.

Regional experts say the surge reflects a wider Caribbean trend. A United Nations report earlier this year described an “intensification of organised crime and lethal violence,” driven by the flow of South American drugs through island territories, the availability of firearms, and localised gang activity. Jamaica, Trinidad, and St Lucia have also been named as particular concerns.

While tourism continues largely unaffected – with cruise ships docking and hotels at high occupancy – residents speak of a parallel reality. Police patrols are more visible, curfews have been introduced in some areas, and families worry about the safety of young men vulnerable to gang recruitment.

The question for St Kitts and Nevis is whether government and community leaders can act decisively enough to stop the slide. Tackling gun access, offering meaningful opportunities for youth, and shoring up the justice system will be essential if the country wants to reverse the trajectory.

One Kittitian civic leader put it bluntly: “We cannot allow our islands to be defined by violence. The stakes are too high.”